1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording device, an information recording method, a recording medium that is readable by a computer and stores an information recording program, an information recording system, an optical-disk recording device, an optical-disk recording method and an optical-disk recording system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a CD-R (CD-Recordable), on which data can be recorded once, is in common use because of its low price. The CD-R is a recording medium that stores a series of data dispersed and arranged by an interleaving process, in which the series of data must be continuous. Thus, suspension or resumption of a data recording process to the CD-R is not permitted since continuity of the interleaving process and the series of data must be insured.
Accordingly, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 10-49990 suggests an optical-disk recording device that can read data continuously and correctly from an optical disk after suspending and resuming a data recording process. In detail, this optical-disk recording device acquires timing to start writing data correctly from an end of data recorded previously on the optical disk, by counting a PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) of a channel bit or a frame synchronous signal when controlling the data recording process at an ending part or a beginning part of the data recording process by use of a CIRC (Cross Interleave Read-Solomon Code) demodulation for maintaining the continuity of the data on the optical disk.
Additionally, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2000-40302 discloses an optical-disk recording device. This optical-disk recording device suspends a data recording process to an optical disk, if the optical-disk recording device decides that a buffer under-run error may occur. The buffer under-run error is an error that occurs when a buffer temporarily storing data to be recorded on the optical disk runs out of the data stored therein, and the data recording process cannot be performed. On the other hand, if it is determined that a condition in which the buffer under-run error occurs is avoided, the optical-disk recording device resumes the data recording process from a location, which is connected to the last data without any joint, the last data being recorded on the optical disk just before the suspension of the data recording process. Additionally, the optical-disk recording device records new data that continues from the last data recorded on the optical disk.
The above-described optical-disk recording device insures the continuity of the interleaving process and the series of data, and writes the series of data on the optical disk without any disconnection of data, by maintaining an interleaving circuit to a condition right after the suspension of the data recording process, and operating the interleaving circuit from the condition right after the suspension, when the resumption of the data recording process is prepared.
However, the above-described optical-disk recording device cannot secure the continuity of the interleaving process and the series of data when resuming the data recording process, if the optical-disk recording device cannot maintain the interleaving circuit to the condition right after the suspension of the data recording process.
For example, the optical-disk recording device may be powered off during the data recording process. The optical-disk recording device may also carry out hardware reset when a system down occurs to a host computer that outputs data to be recorded on the optical disk. Alternatively, a user may turn off the optical-disk recording device by interrupting the data recording process for business convenience or time convenience, or may switch the optical disk. Consequently, the condition of the interleaving circuit stored in a memory such as a RAM can be erased. In such a case, the data recording process to the optical disk cannot be resumed, and, thus, the data recorded on the optical disk cannot be reproduced completely.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an information recording device, an information recording method, a recording medium that is readable by a computer and stores an information recording program, an information recording system, an optical-disk recording device, an optical-disk recording method and an optical-disk recording system.
A more particular object of the present invention is to provide an information recording device, an information recording method, a recording medium that is readable by a computer and stores an information recording program, an information recording system, an optical-disk recording device, an optical-disk recording method and an optical-disk recording system, by which a data recording process can be resumed, and data recorded on a recording medium can be completely reproduced, even if the data recording process is interrupted by power-off or hardware reset.
The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by an information recording device, including a data writing unit writing data having a fixed unit length in a recording medium, by dispersing and rearranging the data based on a fixed rule; an ending-location detecting unit detecting an ending location of the data written in the recording medium; a starting-location deciding unit deciding a starting location in the recording medium to start dispersing and rearranging the data, based on the ending location; a dispersing/rearranging unit dispersing and rearranging additional data, by starting from the starting location; and a data adding unit writing the additional data dispersed and rearranged by the dispersing/rearranging unit, continuously from the ending location in the recording medium.
The above-described information recording device can resume the data recording process even if the information recording device is powered off or reset, since the information recording device keeps track of the ending location of the data written in the recording medium, when the data recording process is interrupted. Additionally, the information recording device starts dispersing and rearranging data from a location before the ending location of the data, in which a space between the location and the ending location is enough for settling the dispersing/rearranging process. Thus, data located before and after the ending location are connected continuously, and complete reproduction and of the data is achieved.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by a method of recording information in a recording medium, including the steps of writing data having a sector length in the recording medium by interleaving the data, detecting an ending location of the data written in the recording medium, deciding a location that is an interleaving length away from the ending location as a starting location for interleaving the data, interleaving additional data by starting from the starting location, and writing the additional data in the recording medium continuously from the ending location.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by a recording medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to write data in a recording medium, wherein the program includes the steps of writing data having a fixed unit length in the recording medium, by dispersing and rearranging the data based on a fixed rule; detecting an ending location of the data written in the recording medium; deciding a starting location in the recording medium to start dispersing and rearranging the data, based on the ending location; dispersing and rearranging additional data, by starting from the starting location; writing the additional data continuously from the ending location in the recording medium; synchronizing a data-write timing to a reproducing timing of the data written in the recording medium until just before writing the additional data in the recording medium; and creating content information that indicates contents of the data written in the recording medium.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by an information recording system, including an upper-level device outputting data that has a fixed unit length; and an information recording device writing the data outputted by the upper-level device in a recording medium, by dispersing and rearranging the data based on a fixed rule, wherein the information recording device includes an ending-location detecting unit detecting an ending location of the data written in the recording medium; a starting-location deciding unit deciding a starting location in the recording medium to start dispersing and rearranging the data, based on the ending location; a dispersing/rearranging unit dispersing and rearranging additional data that is outputted from the upper-level device, by starting from the starting location; and a data adding unit writing the additional data dispersed and rearranged by the dispersing/rearranging unit, continuously from the ending location in the recording medium.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by an optical-disk recording device, including a data writing unit interleaving data that has a sector length, and writing the data on an optical disk by emitting laser light onto the optical disk; an ending-location detecting unit detecting an ending location of the data written on the optical disk; a starting-location deciding unit deciding a location that is an interleaving length away from the ending location as a starting location for interleaving the data; an interleaving unit interleaving additional data, by starting from the starting location; and a data adding unit writing the additional data interleaved by the interleaving unit, continuously from the ending location on the optical disk.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by a method of recording information on an optical disk, including the steps of interleaving data having a sector length, writing the data on the optical disk by emitting laser light onto the optical disk, detecting an ending location of the data written on the optical disk, deciding a location that is an interleaving length away from the ending location as a starting location for interleaving the data, interleaving additional data by starting from the starting location, and writing the additional data on the optical disk continuously from the ending location.
The above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by an optical-disk recording system, including a computer outputting data that has a sector length; and an optical-disk recording device interleaving the data outputted by the computer, and, then, writing the data on an optical disk by emitting laser light onto the optical disk, wherein the optical-disk recording device includes an ending-location detecting unit detecting an ending location of the data written on the optical disk; a starting-location deciding unit deciding a location that is an interleaving length away from the ending location as a starting location for interleaving the data; an interleaving unit interleaving additional data that is outputted by the computer, by starting from the starting location; and a data adding unit writing the additional data interleaved by the interleaving unit, continuously from the ending location on the optical disk.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.